Monday 10 December 2012 08.13 EST
First published on Monday 10 December 2012 08.13 EST

Team Sky have signed Vasil Kiryienka from Movistar on a three-year contract.

The 31-year-old Belarusian, a talented climber and three-time national time trial champion, has made nine Grand Tour appearances and won bronze at the World Time Trial Championships in Limburg this year.

Kiryienka will attempt to fill the gap left by Michael Rogers, one of the Bradley Wiggins's key domestiques in this year's Tour de France victory, who quit the British-based team at the end of his contract and has joined Alberto Contador's Team Saxo-Tinkoff.

The Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal believes the addition of Kiryienka, who teams up with his compatriot Kanstantsin Sivtsov, will further strengthen the squad for next season.

"He [Kiryienka] can perform very highly in his own right, or in a team capacity, and we know what he is capable of," Portal said. "It puts us in even better shape heading into the big tours of 2013."

Kiryienka said: "Team Sky have enjoyed a fantastic season in 2012 and I'm looking forward to contributing towards even greater success over the next three years, whether that means working for myself, or for someone else.

"With the help of Team Sky I want to continue developing as a rider. Everyone has made me feel welcome and I am keen to getting started."